The Valkyrie and the Admiral

"But Admiral, you really can't pass up an opportunity such as this!" cried out the bronze Sergeant-at-Arms.

He was following quickly on the heels of Admiral Lionus Blackwing as they left the Admiral's guestroom on the capitol grounds.  The Admiral fastened the jacket flap on his chest as one of his honor guards quietly shut the door behind them.

"Gaius, like I've told you before, I have no intention of seeking the position of Consul.  I do not desire nor crave that sort of power, nor am I what you call an expert in the battlefield of politics," the Admiral muttered, striding in a confident manner down the Citadel's balcony walkway over the cliff-side of the capitol's ocean harbor below, "I'm content with my lot in life as being a humble soldier and servant of the Senate and People of the Republic."

The Admiral uniform which he wore was snow white with black and gold trimmings along the cuffs and lining, with a golden decorative cord.  Golden yellow epaulettes decorated his shoulders while several aiguillettes ran from his right shoulder to his chest.  In contrast, the Honor Sergeant wore a formal deep naval blue uniform with a clam-style chest and back breastplate, though he also had a pair of ornamental cords running across it to show off his position as Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate.

"Whether you're content or not, Lionus, is beside the point," the Sergeant dropped all pretense of formality as he chided his friend, "What matters now is that the people… no, this Republic needs you now more than ever!"

"Really?" Lionus kept walking, folding his hands and clasping them behind his back as they marched down the open-air corridor that ran the perimeter of the Citadel grounds.  He did not bother to turn to regard the Sergeant – indeed his longtime childhood friend – though the Admiral's interest was still piqued.

"Of course!  You've seen what's been going on in the world, have you not?  The Authority is increasing her shipbuilding capabilities and has been extolling her people to sign up in an unusual high spike for its most recent recruiting drive, the egg heads in the Home Office also tell me the diplomatic rhetoric has been picking up as of late too.  Granted, the Authority has always been belligerent when dealing with us, but this time the tone has been much more vitriolic than usual."

"Just more saber-rattling from across the Range, don't you think?"

Gaius fell in step with the Admiral, placing a hand on his sword's hilt and squeezing for reassurance.

"You would think so, but it can't be just a coincidence with all the other problems occurring in the border regions.  There's rumblings in the Senate and talk in the street, especially after that deal with the corsairs flared up in Far Sakura,"

"Which I took care of.  By the way, how do I look?" the Admiral asked, scratching with his claw underneath his neck as the fabric of his uniform chaffed at his neck.

"Like a Statesmen, Sir,"

"And you look like a whelp that hasn't taken a lump too many," the Admiral laughed softly as he stopped fidgeting with his collar.

"Now I'll concede that when I took care of that bunch up in Far Sakura for the Senate, what I ran into wasn't just a ragtag group of bandits.  They had some organization and some pretty nasty hardware.  Military grade stuff, if I had to guess.  Sadly, none of it survived intact for the boys back home to probe into about its origins," the Admiral said solemnly, turning his gaze out to the rolling waves beyond the terraced walkway they followed, "But even so, I don't see why it has to be me making the case."

"Like it or not, Lionus, you're the talk of the Senate nowadays.  An up-and-coming, shining star with a bright – indeed very promising – future ahead of you,"

"I was merely executing the duties that I have been charged with by the Senate," retorted the Admiral.

"And it's that modesty and humility, your devotion to duty, and that attitude of yours that has endeared you to Plebs.  You are the most outstanding example of a True Arcadian to them,"

A True Arcadian, the Admiral thought.  Those words pricked at the Admiral's core to hear them.  The Republic of Arcadia was a fairly modest nation, steeped in military tradition and discipline going back even before its founding.  The Republic was headed by a President-Elect with two Consuls below him – one charged with the defense of the nation with the Home Legions while the other dealt with threats beyond the Republic's borders with the Frontier Legions.  Below them there was the Security Council – which composed of generals, commanders, and admirals that best set military policy – while the administration of the citizenry was left to the big wigs in the Senate office.

While their dedication to discipline, honor, and duty brought all Arcadians together, it was the ideal… no, the dream of truly aspiring to their origins that drove every Arcadian citizen forward.  A shining beacon of all that is just, right, and powerful in the free world; and that was what the measure of a True Arcadian was.

"A True Arcadian, huh?" the Admiral stopped in his step, pausing as he gave the measure some thought.

He eventually brought himself to the terrace's periphery, his eyes gazing steadily at the rolling waves of the eastern seas.  Their people had always been borne of strong naval traditions, and deep in the heart of every Arcadian was a yearning to be by the seas.  Especially for him, it seemed to ease his restless spirit to just look at the expanse that seemed to dwarf his people.  Grand, wide, majestic… as far as the eye could see.  And here he was, insignificant and tiny in the grand scheme of things.  He certainly didn't feel the grandeur or self-importance that was supposedly being thrown on him to elevate him to a war hero.  He still felt the same as he had always been.  Was this what being a hero felt like?

"Thinking about-?"

"Gaius, don't," the warning in the Admiral's eyes as he reproached him stopped him dead in his tracks.  The Sergeant sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"So I'm going to guess you haven't heard?" the Admiral tilted his head inquisitively to one side, arching a brow at the question, "No?  The Senate is already deliberating on the motion to appoint you to the spot."

"What?!" the Admiral spread his draconic wings, his chest puffing up as he brought himself to his full, proper height and storming his way across the veranda and back to the covered walkway.

Sergeant Gaius scurried behind the fuming Admiral as his honor guards snapped to attention and quickly fell into their positions around the Admiral, some of them making an initial awkward 'skip' to march in line with their other guardsmen.

"Think about it, Lionus!  This is truly an honor to be appointed as a Consul of Arcadia.  I don't see why you would refuse to acknowledge your accomplishments to date."

"Because," the Admiral gritted his teeth, nearly growling as he spoke, "I refuse to have my family name dragged through the gutters as some sort of pawn in a political game of chess!  I didn't ask-"

The Admiral stopped haltingly, taken aback a bit in surprise as Gaius was soon obstructing his path, his arms outstretched to either side.

"No one asks to be a hero.  No one asks to be commended for actions becoming of the state of the Republic or its People, but you know what?  That's exactly what you got yourself into and you earned it.  My sources in the Citadel Guards tell me that they should reach a decision by tomorrow, and the Senate session is considered closed until their debate is done."

The Admiral stomped an angry heel into the marble floor, his clawed fists clenching and relaxing in reflex.

"Damnit, Gaius.  When you're right, you're right," the Admiral relented, letting out a breathless, exasperated sigh.  It would be considered socially and militarily improper to interrupt a Senate session unless it was life or death.  He swore aloud again before regaining his composure, eying his honor guard who stood silently by his side, emotionless and cold expressions on their faces.

"Sir, we heard and saw nothing," one of the men said, causing a weak chuckle to escape the Admiral's lips.

"You've always been too good to me, Sirius," the Admiral returned his gaze to the Sergeant, motioning him with an open palm, which Gaius gladly accepted and together they continued their brisk walk down the corridor, though their pace was much slower than before.

"I'm no hero, Gaius.  I haven't the faintest clue on how to be one.  Politics is something my family has toyed with in the past, but never something to sink their claws into, least it contaminate the very lineage of our tribe," the Admiral scratched the end of his snout, his wings furling back into proper resting position behind him as his tail brushed the ground easily behind, "All I did was put down a few bandits, no matter how organized or tough they were.  And my boys… good Legionnaires the whole lot of them, they died for me Gaius.  A medal I can live with, but to achieve the rank of Consul for the price they laid?  That's a price too high even for me…"

The Admiral's voice trailed off.  An awkward silence enveloped the two, with only the sound of armored footsteps and the jingling of swords and armor from the honor guards seem to echo and reverberate off the marble walls and floor.  A gentle but firm claw found its way to his shoulder, and looking in the direction of the grip Lionus saw it was Gaius.

"But I bet they wouldn't.  You can do so much to change the way things are done.  To strengthen the navy and legion forces, put respectability and accountability back into the Senate.  You have the backing and respect of the Legion and the Fleet, your popularity among the Plebs is soaring, and even members of the Senate look to your deeds."

"Perhaps,"

"Heck, you even wiped out six ships without losing any of your own,"

"Nine,"

"Hm?" Gaius was thrown off by the terse statement.

"Nine, we sunk nine enemy ship," The Admiral corrected.  Gaius wasn't sure if Lionus' raising his chin higher than normal was an absent-minded omission of the pride he took in that engagement.

"Six, nine, fifteen; you got to admit that was a pretty amazing accomplishment when you yourself didn't lose a single ship!  Sure, a few destroyers and a light cruiser took a nasty shelling, but the Harbormaster Typhon will get them repaired in no time.  You should learn to take some pride in that, Admiral."

"And who says I'm not?  I just don't think it necessarily needs to be announced to the world, that's all," a cordial smile fell across his face, then his eyes narrowed as if recalling some long lost thought, "Ah, I remember I have an appointment!"

Their pace quickened and Gaius had to quickly adjust to keep up as the Admiral was speed-walking with a purpose to some unknown destination on the grounds.

"An appointment?  I wasn't aware anyone had summoned you," Gaius tone was partially of surprise, but also intrigue."

"Indeed, my friend.  Of the most important nature, in fact!  Nothing short of death would stop me from this duty," the Admiral beamed with confidence to attest that fact.



          *           *           *



The honor guard stopped just within the archway to one of the interior garden plazas just off the veranda walkway.  Evenly spaced marble columns held up a second tier of floors and benches that lined the open-roof plaza.  In the center was a marble fountain, as pure as snow and as pristine as a maiden's skin, that let roll sparkling, clear blue water from the ocean beneath the Citadel.  While the outer rim of the chamber was covered by roofs and walls, the innermost portion of the plaza had an open top to allow the sun and rain to shine down onto the flowers, trees, and other assorted members of the natural world's own Senate, the fountain forming the central piece of the design.  Gaius stopped in the archway, smiling to himself and crossing his arms as the Admiral stepped into the central garden, where a small arcadian boy awaited.

The boy's leathery, ashen skin matched that of his father, a sure tell sign of his heritage.  For the Republic originally hailed from the seven tribes of the Arcadian people: bronze, browns, coppers, silvers, whites, gray, and greens.  The Admiral's tribe was that of the ashen grays from the region of Lindell (and thus the Lindell Tribune), who were renown throughout history as having bright minded commanders and were the pioneers of the armored suits of the Centurions.  In fact, they also formed and used discipline and ranks to stave off the more numerous or stronger tribes before the formation of the Republic, and afterwards turned the more warrior-like bronzes into a fearsome fighting machine with their induction into the Republic and thus the backbone core of ideals that shaped the Legion.

But those thoughts passed quickly and quietly as the father and son embraced each other fondly under the sunlit garden.  The Admiral scooped up his little boy, spinning him around as the Admiral balanced on one foot, and he decided it was best not to interrupt their moment.  Lionus was a quiet man, but when it came to his family there was none more vocal than he.

Gaius leaned up against the wall near a secluded corner of the garden, letting out an amused chuckle and sigh as he watched the two.  Conversations of 'Where have you been?' followed by 'What presents did you get me this time?' made his eyes go alight with amusement.  It was definitely in character for the Admiral to enjoy the little moments of life like this, especially considering he was rarely - if ever - away from his much loved legionnaires or ships.

Though something seemed to be nagging at the back of his mind.  Something he couldn't quite place.  Gaius subconsciously gripped his chest and clenched his jacket lightly.  Was he getting nervous about something?  And why did it feel as if the air was getting heavier and a bit stale?

Gaius pushed himself off the wall, glancing around curiously.  There was the Admiral playing with his son in the central garden, the four honor guards lined up two by two on either side of the interior of the archway, and nothing else.  They were the only souls in the plaza.

And that was when it hit him.  They were the only ones in the garden.  The Citadel grounds - aside from the Senatorial and Consul chambers that formed the pinnacle of the government tower that eclipsed much of the city - was actually a cultured civic centre for the city as a whole.  Steeped in ancient architecture, culture, and history; the many open plazas, gardens, and beautiful scenery made the Citadel truly a wonder to behold, to citizen and visitors alike.  And it was with that in mind that Gaius hit the proverbial hammer on the nail.

Where were the other guests?  The guards that were supposed to be stationed throughout the grounds to not only guide visitors but to give off the air of both security and project the Legion's might in the very heart of the Republic.  Recalling back, they did not see a single sentry anywhere between the Admiral's office and the current garden.  There would be no instance that the entire guard of the eastern wing would be pulled down unless it was an absolutely dire emergency, and if there was he definitely had been the last to hear about it.

The heavy wooden doors creaked and ached as some magically force grabbed them and slammed the entry-way shut.  The honor guards snapped immediately to attention, staring at the door in disbelief before exchanging glances with one another quizzically.  The Admiral's son clung to his father's leg as Lionus placed a protective claw atop the boy's head, looking back with steely determination in his eyes and then glanced over at Gaius.

"Men, to the Admiral!" Gaius shouted at the top of his lungs, rushing over and vaulting a short wall that separated the covered benched side sections from the interior garden, his clawed hand on his hilt as the honor guard assumed their positions encircling the Admiral's family, their hands on their gladius swords.

The air felt very still, almost clammy as the skies above them darkened, an ominous sign of things to come.  The Republic had an intense hatred for clandestine operatives, having been the victim in its past of assassinations and spies, which promptly the honor-bound people of the Republic to always openly display a heavy military presence of guards and sentries, especially around government centers - not only as a means of security but a projection of the influence and power of the Legion's authority.  Gaius kicked himself for not having noticed it sooner, and indeed a small pocket of fear grew in his heart.  Not a fear of the unknown threat that seemed to be about them, but a fear of what sort of power or influence could have retracted the guards of the Citadel so easily.  He didn't have long to wait to get his answer.

"Oh, what do we have here?  Are the little LIZARDS huddling together, scared witless with their TAILS between their legs?" mocked a voice that echoed throughout the pavilion.

"Who goes there?  Identify yourself, in the name of the Legion!" shouted Gaius, glancing around calmly as he tried to place the source of the voice.

"Oh ho ho ho ho!" a dark, sinister laugh reverberated throughout the chamber, and Gaius couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine, causing his tail to stiffen and stand on edge, "So this is what has become of the GREAT Arcadian people?  The prestigious and proud Admiral Lionus, cowering behind his LAPDOGS in the sanctuary that is home?"

Suddenly, as if someone had thrown a cloak over their eyes, a sudden black apparition appeared before the small troupe of arcadians.  A sinewy, dark arm seemed to form and whip itself out of the maelstrom of shadow and darkness, grabbing a hold of the lower portion of the embodiment of whatever it was.  It then drew itself about in a quick motion, as if whipping itself around to throw a cloak on itself.  It drew up six, eight, then finally ten feet height, making the six foot arcadians appear as nothing but short, stocky humans to the final form that manifested itself before them.  Covered in boils and a scaly hide lashed by fire and brimstone, a two-horned demon of monstrous proportion towered before them.

The honor guards and even Gaius himself felt something grow; even gnaw at the pit of their stomachs as they gazed froze upon the demonic creature.  A demon! Of all things, especially in the heart of the Citadel!  But he spotted out of the corner of his eyes the steadfast and fearless determination of the Admiral.  A calm and stone faced, almost emotionless expression took a hold of his face.

"How did you get into the Citadel, demon?" demanded Gaius angrily, and the glare of the demon fixated on him, eyes burning alight with rage and fury.

"Don't you dare DEMAND anything from me, little one!  You are merely a speck, a FLY on the wall as it may be.  No, the one I have come for is HIM," the demon pointed a blacken talon claw at the Admiral in the center of the group.

"Don't think that you-" Gaius was interrupted as the Admiral raised his claw to cut him off, taking a step forward from behind his guards.

"Well, I'm pretty sure you didn't come all the way down here to have a chat now, am I right, your eminence?" the Admiral questioned the demon.

"You are most certainly right, oh esteemed and sickeningly honorable Admiral,"

"So what can I expect the... pleasure, of your visit then, creature?"

The demon huffed itself up, rising even higher and more imposingly over the company, drawing in breath at the formalities it deemed was appropriate... no, required of something of its station!

"Oh, how RUDE of me.  I see at least the civilities and social NECESSITIES of your species aren't completely lost on your kind when one of you finally recognizes his BETTERS," the demon spoke, its tongue lapping hungrily and sickly as it spoke, "You see, I have come to take your life, oh PROUD and NOBLE arcadian."

"My life?  Surely what for?  I have caused no slight to you or your kind, demon," the Admiral parlayed, carefully calculating his responses with the dressing of formalities.

"Indeed, you have not.   Personally, you have committed no ILL WILL towards my kind or myself for that matter,"

"Then I don't see what the problem is; what quarrel is it that you have with me?"

"No quarrel at all, ARCADIAN.  It shames me to think that I must extinguish the life of one such as yourself, who clearly can DISTINGUISH those of higher station than he, but there are plans in motions; those that you cannot even BEGIN to comprehend,"

"Plans, what plans?" Gaius jerked forward, catching the Admiral off guard at his interruption.

"Ha, ha.  You expect me to answer something from a WORM like you?" the demon spat angrily, and the Admiral grabbed at Gaius shoulder, but the damage had been done.

"You'll all be long DEAD before you find out.  You hear me, DEAD!"

"Gaius, can you and your men cover me?" the Admiral spoke softly to the Honor Sergeant of the Citadel Guards.

He looked to the demon once more; it's sickly and sinister laughing turning his stomach before he looked back with a grin, almost having hid the hesitancy in it back at the Admiral.

"I will do my best, Sir."

"Very well, your best is all I can ask," the Admiral coolly and sternly stated, reaching to his side and flipping open his holster's flap.

"What's this?  You think a mere TOY will harm one as magnificent as myself?" the demon growled deeply, flicking one of its arms in a quick motion towards the ground.

A gout of flame and fire crackled, bursting from its hand before consuming the ground beneath it, and a jagged edge, double-sided blade pulsing with wicked magma formed in its grip.

"In the name of the Legion, we shall put you down, beast!" Gaius shouted and sprung forward with the quartet of honor guardsmen under his command.

As the arcadians charged, the Admiral pulled out his service revolver and looked down at this son, clinging tightly to his muscular leg.

"Son, cover your ears, okay?" he instructed, and the trembling boy nodded and covered his canine like ears in an exaggerated manner.  Lionus couldn't help but crack a smile as he aimed his revolver into the air.

"Guards, guards of the Citadel, come to my aid!" he shouted, declared even at the top of his lungs as he fired his gun.  The crackling sound of the throaty gunfire of his revolver steady as he paced his shots evenly and slowly.

Crack!

Gaius sidestepped as the demon took a swing with its giant, curved blade; the weapon barely missing him as he kicked back off the earthen ground beneath his clawed feet, though one of the honor guards wasn't as lucky or as swift as him.  The guardsman was instantly cleaved in half, severing him at the midsection as the blade passed effortlessly through his armor.

"Attack it from the sides, now!" shouted Gaius as he ordered his men to divide and conquer.

Gaius and Guardsman Sirius took to the right, as the other remaining two guards took to the demon's left.

Crack.

Another shot went off as the commanding shouts of help the Admiral spoke became mere background noise, the heat and blood in his seemingly moving up to cloud his ears.  They drew their swords as the distance closed, and one of the Honor Guard swung his sword wide as he charged into the demon's right leg.

"You think you can actually TOUCH me?" the demon chortled wickedly, lifting its leg in suddenly, surprising the guardsman with the alacrity and speed it was able to move despite its size, and a fatal mistake it was.

With the leg now not in the path of his attack, the guardsman was unable to correct his lunge and soon found himself right where his intended target had been.  With a powerful stomp, the demon brought its crooked hoofed foot down, splattering and crushing the arcadian into a mist of blood.

The other guardsman opposite them took a defensive stance, raising his blade horizontally in front of him, waiting for the creature to attack and take a reactionary stance, unlike the first two guardsmen did.

"Go low, now!" Gaius shouted at Sirius as the guardsmen opened his wings and ducked in low, making a made aerial dash for the creature's legs as Gaius spread his wings and pushed himself off the ground, catapulting himself into the air.

The demon then swung its prehensile tail at them, which Sirius had to dig his claw into the ground to suddenly correct his flight path to avoid being smashed by the massive object, but that didn't stop Gaius from his attack.

Crack.

Another gunshot went off as Gaius drove his blade downward, both hands on its hilt, into the demon's shoulder.  It let out a wet, sickly howl as it screamed in pain before a massive clawed hand grabbed him and tore him from his perch atop his foe.

"Sergeant!" shouted the other guardsmen in worry, catching the demon's gaze as it swung the flat of its blade at the soldier.

The honor guard soon found himself smashed into the wall across the garden, the force of the attack having shattered and left an indent where he impacted, and regrettably also smashing every bone in the arcadian's body.

Crack.

The fourth gunshot rang out as the demon, gazing angrily at the steadfast Admiral in white, took Gaius and flung him at a column.  Gaius wasn't sure how hard he was thrown, just that he one moment he was one the demon's shoulder, and the next he felt excruciating pain radiate out from his back and spine as he crashed through the column and clear through it.  He groaned in pain as all he could feel or see was a numbingly painful blackness overtake his senses.

Crack.

"Guards, guards, come to me!  Your Admiral needs you!" the Admiral shouted calmly, the words dancing along Gaius' ears.

Gaius vision was partially blurred as he tried to pick himself up off the ground, stumbling on the first attempt as his claws dung into the broken marble floor from his impact.  He had no weapon, as his sword was still stubbornly stuck in the demon's shoulder.  A blurred figure - most likely the remaining honor guard Sirius - leapt in front of the demon's path to obstruct it as best he could.

"For honor and glory!" he shouted, charging in with his sword clenched in two fists as he came in high.



          *           *           *



"What's the hold-up?" shouted a Citadel Guard commander as he came up to the source of the commotion with a detachment of Silverwing troopers behind him.

A pair of Legionnaires grunted and heaved as they tried to tug on the pull-ring that acted as the handle to operate the door, but to no avail.  Behind them, a troop of ARA (Arcadian Republic Army) riflemen stood uneasily with M1 Garands in their grips.

"Sir, we can't open this.  The door just won't bulge," replied the junior officer.

"Out of the way, let real arcadians do the work here," the commander declared, and he and three of his silverwings stabbed their swords into the cracks of the door, "Now heave, and heave!"

The theory of using their blades as levers to pry the door was sound, but something seemed to resist their efforts.  It felt as if something were indeed sucking the door back into its place!  As if there was some sort of phantom whirlpool on the other side fighting against them.

"The door is sealed with dark magic.  Very, very dark magic I'm afraid," a quiet, wizened voice spoke.

The commander spun around to the source, and a stocky, aqua blue calaban shaman stood prophetically behind them.  On either side of him was another of his kind, though dressed in less elaborate and decorative gear than the one who has spoken, but all three held simple metal staff poles with two metal rings fixed at the top.

"High Shaman, we must get in there, the Admiral is in trouble."

The High Shaman nodded, and closed his eyes.  The arcadians all stared at one another then back at the shamans, puzzled at their low, inaudible mumbling.



          *           *           *



"Humph," the demon scoffed at the insignificant guardsmen and flicked his sword at him.

What he did not know was that Sirius was ranked as one of the most agile and quickest fighters within the Citadel Guards.  Sirius vaulted high by kicking off the ground with his strong hind legs, and as the blade passed him he landed atop its flat.

Caught by surprise, the demon was too slow, too overconfident to counter what was to happen next.  With a roar and charge, Sirius leapt off the blade, wings fully outstretched to show the full majesty that was an arcadian warrior and he drove his blade home.  It found its mark in the direct center of the demon's upper chest, and it hollered as Sirius put all his weight and strength into sinking the blade as deep as he could.  Once the blade would go no further, he used the weight of his frame and the help of gravity to wench the blade downward; trying to carve up the demon's wound.

"H-how dare you, you INSIGNIFICANT speck of a fly!" it cried out, and Sirius looked towards the free claw coming at him as it tried to pull him from his sword.

Sirius clung to the blade for dear life, knowing full well that if he let go, his life wouldn't be too far behind. He was in the right spot, the right place to do his Admiral justice.

Crack.

The final shot of the Admiral's revolver was aimed squarely at the hand that tried to rip the arcadian away from the wound he had caused, the demon howled in pain as the bullet stung it deep within.

Admiral Lionus lowered his gun arm to his side, staring defiantly at the creature with piercing eyes, no fear apparent behind his furious sea-blue eyes.  Sirius used the brief respite to deal as much damage as possible, kicking his clawed feet into the demon's lower torso and standing almost horizontally.  With a grunt and a heave, he forced the blade to cut a path downward through the demon's gut.

"Argh!" the demon wailed as the damage was done, and a sizable wound was evident across its gut.

Gaius rose to his feet unsteadily, gripping his sides in pain and started to limp towards the combatants.  It was at that moment the demon brought up its sword and came down in a downward blow to dislodge the arcadian trooper.

Sirius deftly let go of his blade, rappelling off the demon's stomach to dodge the blow, but the demon had quickly learned of this one's fighting strength - in this case his speed - and had used it against him.  A giant tell came around and all Sirius could do was ball himself up to protect himself from the blow, curling his powerful legs and arms to shield his vitals and face.

The last of the honor guard was thrown clear across the garden, bouncing off the garden's soft soil and then skipping onto the marble floor without, cracking the floor with every bounce.  It was as if the demon was treating them as nothing more than bloody stones to skip across a river, damnit!



          *           *           *



"High Shaman, with all due respect... your excellence," the commander quickly corrected himself, muttering in an apologetic tone for disturbing the High Shaman, "but we are running out of time."

The shamans did not stop their incantations, and the commander looked at a loss for words as he and his men stood helplessly, silently by.  He hoped that there was still time to help those beyond the doors.



          *           *           *



Gaius struggled to his post besides his friend and superior, clutching his side as the Admiral holstered his sidearm, glancing up at the imposing demon before them.  Had it really all come down to this?  A hero of the Republic, a champion of the People, to be struck down by a dastardly and infernal creature such as this, in the very heart of the Republic itself?  What cruel joke was this to be, and it sickened him to his stomach.  It was as if a cowardly assassin has sneaked into the Citadel proper and assassinated the First Consul himself!  The demon stopped before the trio that remained: the Admiral, his son, and the wounded Sergeant of the Guard.  But the Admiral confidently stood his ground, not recoiling in fear or cowering away as he stood face to face - or technically face to knee - with the demonic monstrosity.

"It seems your LAPDOGS are pretty loyal to their master," the demon complimented the Admiral for the sacrifice of his men, but the Admiral's cold-stone gaze was what returned back at the demon.

"My people are a proud one, Demon.  Even if you fell me here and now, another one shall take my place," declared the Admiral.

The demon licked its cracked, blackened lips, nodding in quiet contemplation as the bubbling of magma and fire could be heard from his blade and body.

"Perhaps, I do not DOUBT that your kind will do just that.  That is both your STRENGTH and FOLLY altogether.  Regardless, HE will be most happy that at least you are out of the WAY.  Forgive me for snuffing you out of your MISERY.  Die now, ADMIRAL OF THE PEOPLE."

Time was on his side and the Admiral grinned, puzzling the demon momentarily.  The great oak doors to the garden flew open, slamming and bouncing off the marble walls from the sheer force which with they were thrown open.  A flurry of activity ensured as Legionnaires, Silverwing commandos, and fully armored Citadel Guards rushed into the room.  The Legionnaires surrounded the garden from the lower and upper floor of the gardens; the Silverwings leapt into place to surround the demon with axes and blades drawn, while the Citadel Guards - with their arc-lightning lances and tall tower shields - moved to shield and cover the Admiral.  The High Shaman and his entourage followed lastly, walking up besides the Admiral and Gaius.

"You're late, Caladin," Lionus screwed up his face into a half smile, hiding the relief in his voice to those around them.

"My apologizes, Admiral.  We were... delayed, but we are here now," the shaman chuckled, staring up at the demon in the center of the troops.

He raised his staff high and chanted lowly Words of Power.  A massive blue sphere appeared over and around the demon, and gradually it shrunk and forced the demon to its knee, clinging to its blade with two claws to keep itself up right when the other shamans joined in the incantation.

"You...!" the demon glowered, struggling against the magic the shamans used.

"Let's go, Sir," Gaius stressed the formalities, wanting to rid himself of both the demon of the foul demon and its soon untimely demise.

"Leave this to us, your Lordship," the High Shaman spoke, and Lionus - gripping his boy - nodded and headed for the door.

Gaius sighed a breath of relief.  It was over, and soon that demon would be the last thing-

"...think this will hold me?"

Gaius eyes widened and he spun around as the shamans gripped their metal staves with both their three-fingered webbed hands.  They seemed to struggle and exert themselves as they fought with some invisible force that alas his naked eye could not see.

"Gaius, promise me something," the Admiral put his claw on his friend's good shoulder, and he looked back at him, puzzled.

"Sure?"

"As Sergeant of the Guard, no matter what happens, protect my son, okay?"

"What are you talking-?"

"Boy," the Admiral turned down to his son, a forlorn smile on his face.  Be bent down and looked his boy squarely in the eyes, "You stay close to Gaius, you hear me?  No matter what happens, you stay by him, okay?"

"All right, father. I will," the boy answered quietly, nodding as if he somehow understood far more than even Gaius could at that moment, and would not fully understand until the end.

"I love you, son.  No matter what happens, I will always love you and your mom, remember that."

Shouts could be heard as the Shamans were thrown clear out of the garden; the High Shaman himself skidded along the floor and out towards the archway as his staff shattered against the wall.  The other two shamans lay unconscious, their sad, crumpled forms having flown into the shattered doors that had been pried open with their magic from earlier.

"Men, prepare yourselves!" shouted the Guard commander as he drew his sword, waving it towards the Demon as it pushed the sky blue barrier upwards, as if it were a child fighting its way out of a balloon.

The Legionnaires, with their khakis and partially armored shoulders and roman helmets, aimed their rifles steadily at the demon.

"Sir, stand behind us," the sergeant of the Citadel tower guards said, "Shield wall, lads!"

An uneasy silence fell upon all those gathered, for none could fire as long as the barrier was in place, nor could the demon attack them.  The barrier stretched, heaved, and trembled from the internal force the demon was building to break it.

"Men, with me!" shouted the Admiral as he drew his long sword, holding it at attention as he looked towards his foe; a foe of all Arcadia, "Remember, you fight for the Republic.  You fight for your homes.  You are all Arcadians, and you fight for the Senate and People of Arcadia!"

The barrier shattered in a blinding flash of light, and everyone recoiled momentarily as a deafening roar broke through the breached barrier.  The demon drew in a deep breath, fire and saliva dripping from its mouth.

"Open fire! Now, now!" shouted a junior officer and the thundering volley of over 50 M1 Garands rang out, their semi automatic rifle belching forth rapid death towards their target.  The bullets riddled the demon and in short order, the simultaneous sound of their 8-round clips could be heard ejecting with their distinctive metallic 'ping' sound.

But the behemoth still stood, unfazed as fire spat from its back.  The Silverwings charged forward, half leaping into the air to avoid the next volley of fire while the rest flew in low, their bodies and forms barely gliding just off the ground.

The demon closed its eyes, clenching both its fists and brought them down with an earth shattering force.  Fire erupted and radiated out from its form like a stone thrown into a pond, causing a ripple to radiate out from the point of impact.  Except the point of impact in this case was the demon itself.

Silverwing commandos – despite being arcadians and having magical resistance native to their blood, were not immune to the effects of magic –  burst into flames and fell out of the skies like a moth getting just a tad too close to an open flame.  The Legionnaires raised their rifles again as their individual junior officers waved their blades to aim and fire, but the order never came.

The demon slashed out its sword, its length spewing forth fire and brimstone as its darkened metal blade cut through all the columns around the garden, collapsing the upper balcony floors onto the lower.  Arcadians were hearty, tough creatures though, and the ones below survived the impact but were helplessly pinned, while the ones above were now tangled in the wreckage of both concrete and marble.  All that now stood between the demon and the Admiral now were the shield guardians of the Citadel.

"Arc lances, at the ready!" shouted the sergeant in charge, the tips of their lances snapping out to reveal a hidden interior shaft of their lance.  Crackling blue lighting licked out, hungry for a foe to maim and wound.  Even with a near miss, the charge and voltage of the lances would 'arc' out and strike nearby foes, thus earning itself the name of arc lances.

The demon approached and the soldiers formed a double-lined wall of shields and lances.  They thrust forward in perfect military and drill synchronization and prowess, stabbing at the creature.  What blows missed or not, it did not matter as the power of more than a dozen lances lashed out at the demon.  It howled and swung its sword, an unstoppable juggernaut against the unity and strength of the arcadian soldiers, sending half of them flying of cut clean through across the plaza.  The remaining handful drew back, shields held high as only a small fraction of them still had intact lances, the rest destroyed when the demon swung its blade and cleaved through their ranks.

It was then the Admiral stepped forward, and Gaius reached out a claw to stop him.

"Gaius, protect my son, no matter what, okay?" the Admiral said, his voice indicating he was resigned to his fate, "this is something I must do on my own, old friend."

"But Admira-- Lionus!  You can't!" Gaius voice was hoarse as he felt something tugging, choking at his throat.  This couldn't be happening, not like this!

"Oh, and tell my wife," the Admiral began walking towards the demon, which waited patiently for his foe to draw near, "Tell her, hmm... I can't think of anything witty or worthy of song and praise... tell her I love her, will you?"



          *           *           *



The Admiral's corpse collapsed, broken and shattered at the center of all those still left alive and conscious.  The battle had been a terrible one, even though the Admiral was a member of the Stormguard and had an arc-blade of his own, he was no match for a creature as powerful and as terrifying as this.  What power, what strength this thing possessed!  It single-handily wiped out the primary guard force and any more reinforcements that tried to enter were waylaid by demonic energies that crackled at the entrance, maiming or outright killing those who sought to enter or leave.

"And so ENDS the life of your leader, your commander," proclaimed the demon as he wiped stabbed his blade into the ground, wiping its claws clean as if it had just finished a workout.

The other arcadians trembled from their positions of immobilization, unable to react either due to injury or death.

Gaius clutched the boy tightly to his chest as the demon's gaze fell upon him and the last remaining Citadel guards huddled around the two, determined to give their lives - however futilely - for their charge.

"I cannot, WILL NOT, allow those of his blood to live either, so are the orders from HIM.  Goodnight, little one, may hell TAKE YOU and welcome you in darkness' embrace!"

The demon swung its mighty blade down as the tower guards raised their shields, though it would make little difference of what was to happen next, and Gaius closed his eyes shut and pulled the boy into him, hoping beyond all hope that maybe his body could lessen the blow, even by a little and give him some chance...

But that blow never came.  An eerie silence was all that he heard in the blackness that was him with his eyes shut.  What had happened?  Why wasn't he dead?  Or for that matter, what was going on?

His answer was apparent before him as a towering pillar of light shone directly in front of him, its height going far into the heavens and disappearing into the dusk skies beyond.  In the center of the pillar, hovering with angelic wings made of pure white feathers and dressed in linen robes and partial platemail hovered a woman - a HUMAN woman at that - at eyes length with the demon.  She stood - well hovered - with a stillness and grace he had never witnessed before, and in her hands was a long, mythril spear of some sorts.  Blue crystals emitted a soft, pulsing yet soothing glow from through the weapon, especially near its head, while the silver of the polearm was so spotless and polished it seemed to glow and reflect her own radiance.

"You?!  What are you-?"

The demon never had a chance to finish the sentence.  The woman swung her polearm in one forceful slash in front of her, as if she were swinging at midair, for her blow never connected with the demon.

Yet somehow, it struck!  The demon's body suddenly found itself smashed to the ground, as if an invisible hand had suddenly grabbed the demon and forced him down as if he were nothing more than a mere doll for a child's dollhouse.

"Demon, you are in violation of the Pact of the Divine.  You have broken countless articles set forth by the Creator and I have been sent as both your judge, jury, and executioner, do you understand me?" she spoke calmed, her voice lacking emotion but carried with it strength.

"Damn you, Valkyrie, I will not-"

"I shall now list the charges against you that you have broken, in bad faith, against the All-Father, the Maker, so help you God."

"Thou shalt not directly interfere in the ways of mortals," she began, swinging her lance as she finished the statement.

The demon's arm was immediately severed from its body as a blinding, invisible force carved through it and into the ground, dark and sickly blood spouting into the cool air as the demon wailed and cried, convulsing on the ground.

"Thou shalt not slay a mortal by your own hand.  Thou shalt not reveal yourself to mortals in true form.  Thou shalt not use one's power to slay mortals.  Thou shalt not offend the Valkyries of the Divine, in accordance with their service to the Creator."

With each charge she read, another arm, both its legs and his torso were cleaved cleanly in half as she swung her polearm at the end of each sentence, yet miraculously the demon lived.

"Demon, I shall ask you once and only once.  What was your purpose here?  Why have you committed so grave a sin against the Divine Father, despite all the love and restraint he has shown to your kind?" the Valkyrie spoke almost in a motherly tone, despite the bloody and grotesque scene before her.  Her straight, raven black hair rose about her lithe form, her steely gray eyes glaring down in silent, emotionless judgment; like a child who had stolen from the cookie jar.  But there was no passion, no love in her eyes.

The demon spat bloodily on the ground between him and the Valkyrie, coughing up blood shortly after as he lay there, bleeding out on the ground.

"You will get nothing out of me, WHORE of heaven.  Why don't you go back up there and let FATHER spread those dirty legs of-"

Anger registered in the Valkyrie's eyes, for they were messengers of the Celestial Heavens, and in essence their very words and actions were extensions of the Creator himself.  And no Valkyrie would tolerate a direct affront to their patron Father.

With a quick slash of her spear, the demon's throat was cut and it was unable to finish the sentence he had tried to speak.

"You have blasphemed against the Will of Heaven.  So shall I pass final judgment on you now.  For breaking the Pact of the Divine, and having insulted the Divine Father himself, I shall now render my verdict, as decreed by the heavens itself.  You shall receive death eternal, now and forever.  You will become NOTHING, and cease to exist in this world or the next.  Praise be to the Father, the Divine, for this is the wrath of the valkyries.  Heaven help you, demon."

The woman flapped her wings and soared into the air, spinning her polearm with her hands before flipping it into a downward position to attack.  Clutching at the weapon, she came screaming down from the skies before the crystal blade sunk into the skull of the demon, plowing straight through it and impaling him into the ground.

Magically blue energy - almost in the appearance of small fairy creatures - whirled around the maiden as she whispered a prayer, sending her divine wrath and energy into her weapon.

"Praise be to the Creator, for he is good and we have sinned.  Worship the Maker, for he is the way and will make us whole.  Love be to the Father, for he is kind and his will is just.  Bless be to the Maker, the Father.  Glory unto him and unto Heaven."

A sudden force came down from the skies, another column of light focused directly on the Valkyrie's weapon, and a blinding white heat tore into her and her weapon.  The demon began to disintegrate, its body breaking away as if he it were nothing but ash caught in the July winds, to be blown into nothingness, into oblivion for now and forever.  And in a moment, what had taken so long and wounded and killed so many lives was now gone.  No trace was left of the demon or its blood on any surface in the garden.  The Valkyrie eventually stood on her feet, taking a deep breath before turning to face the boy and his guardian.

Her steps were light, too light.  As she approached, her footsteps made no sound upon the ground, her armor did not jingle or rattle with her movements - it was as if she were a ghostly apparition of the Creator's Wrath.

Gaius tried to speak, but the woman knelt down besides the boy and him and smiled.  She waved her hand across his face, and the Honor Sergeant fell into deep slumber.  Looking around her, she waved her hand, and all those within the gardens too fell asleep.  All except herself and the boy that is.

"I am sorry, little one," the Valkyrie spoke, but the boy was captivated by her beauty and her gray eyes.  Like storm clouds in the farm fields of Southern Arcadia, they seemed to swirl with emotion that she had locked within herself, to prevent from showing both in her voice or her body, but she had them deep down, "I arrived too late to save your father but His will has been done."

He nodded meekly, reaching out a tiny claw to grab and slowly run his claws through her hair.  The Valkyrie smiled, giggling softly as she let him play with her silky smooth hair.  It was free of tangles and so clean and soft, yet somehow it held some sort of magical, wonder like property as it did not tangle in the arcadian's clawed digits.

"All those here who are still alive will be healed, and they shall survive their wounds.  But they shall also forget, and so will you."

The boy paused, apprehension and fear in his eyes as he stared at her, and finally he spoke.

"No,"

"No?  It is the Will of Heaven, little one, and I must carry out my-"

She paused when he grabbed and gently yanked her hair.  Not hard enough to harm her, for he was aware of his superhuman nature and strength (obviously being a dragon has its perks), but enough to emphasize his displeasure at the notion.

"Father said he loved me.  I do not want to forget that.  I do not want to forget how great he was, is, and will ever be," the boy said softly, the look in his eyes pleading.

The Valkyrie has dealt with these sorts of things before.  Ever since the dawn of time, she has had to put demons in their place for violating the Pact of the Divine, or extinguishing the life force of rogue demons to serve as an example to others.  For countless ages she has done so, but this time... this time something was different.  She could sense it in the boy.

"I am my father's son.  I will not go quietly into the night, lady," he spoke, playing with her hair again, but his gaze never leaving hers, "I do not want to be rude, but that is what daddy... my father, would have wanted."

The Valkyrie pursed her lips, twisting her soft lips in thought as she stared and studied the boy for a long moment, before looking up towards the Heaven.

"Father, with your permission, I would like to give it to him," she spoke, though to the boy she seemed to be addressing the heavens.  Was she talking to his father, he wondered?

"Yes, I understand what it means," she continued, and it sounded very much as if one were listening to only one side of a conversation between two peoples, "I will take full responsibility for my actions, but I do think we... I mean, beg your pardon, but the Divine owes him that much."

She nodded her head now and then, her eyes thoughtful and bright as it looked like someone was whispering into her ear, as her eyes drifted up and to one side as she nodded.

"I understand.  He does seem to have been touched.  With your permission then?  Thank you, Father."

The boy perked up as her gaze, and soft motherly smile returned to him.

"You are lucky little one; I haven't - if ever - bestowed this to anyone such as yourself, though I know my kind can grant it if they wish it to be.  I will bestow upon you the Mark of the Valkyrie.  From then on, you shall be watched over by the Divine Will that is our Father.  You shall be kept safe, for your life is one that has been touched by fate, and destiny has indeed a long road in store for you.  The road may be difficult, but you must persevere.  In fact, I know you will.  Promise me you shall always remember these words, and be true to yourself, do I make myself clear?"

The boy thought for a moment, then put his hands on her cheeks and nodded.  The action caused the Valkyrie woman to blush a crimson red, though the boy merely cocked his head slightly to one side in puzzlement.

"Very well, little one.  Receive the gift of my people."

The Valkyrie leaned close and placed a soft, affectionate kiss on the boy's forehead.  A magical glyph in the resemblance of a downward sword with wings sprouting from the handles shone brightly for one moment, pulsing with heavenly energy, before dissipating and disappearing into nothingness.

"You are now marked by the Valkyrie," she said, gently pushing the boy's claws away from her cheeks and rising.  She turned her back and began to walk towards the pillar of light, but she stopped when her path took her near the boy's father.

"A place shall be reserved for him in the Highest of All Places.  For his time was cut short and this was what was not meant to be; he shall be received by the Creator himself and honored thusly, I promise."

The boy rose to his feet as the Valkyrie entered the pillar, and she slowly began to ascend.  He wanted to speak, to call out to his savior one last time, to thank her for all she had done, for saving all those here, for stopping the nightmare that was today.  But the words never came, and he didn't know why.  He wanted to speak yet his throat failed him.

Yet sensing this, the Valkyrie turned, her slim, smooth and exposed back visible to the boy as she looked over her shoulder and she called out in a commanding, yet clear voice.

"What is your name anyway, boy?"

The Valkyrie rose higher into the heavens, and the boy ran up and into the light, looking directly up as his ascending savior.  He cupped his claws over the end of his snout and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"My name... my name is Lionel, Son of Lionus, of the Tribe of Lindell!"

The Valkyrie chuckled softly, waving the hand that was free of her polearm.

"Blessings be upon you then Lionel, Son of Lionus and of the Tribe of Lindell.  May the Heavens always smile upon you, Child of Drathis and Son of Arcadia!"

And with those final parting words, she was gone.